Overdrive Pedal Question

euan · Post by **euan** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 4:22 pm

The JVM is still tickling him and keeping him cool. Plus Liverpool got through to the semi finals of the Champions League to face Chelsea, with the second leg at Anfield. All in all a smiley face.

Post by **Mike** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 4:26 pm

PenPen wrote:That wasn't nearly as nasty as I expected. I came back to this thread expecting an inferno.

Mike in a good mood, or just short on time?

I'm a busy man, work is insane and I have no time to engage in a debate about my knowledge level with some no-mark who gave shit advice in the first place. I mean - we all have heard of volume pedals right?

Exothermia · Post by **Exothermia** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 6:56 pm

Mike wrote:Three controls on the pedal - Volume, Tone and Drive/Distortion. Of which Mickie is wanting to control the overdrive by foot, hence connecting the volume pot controls to the wah pot prrrrrobably would be a shit idea, wouldn't it?

Ah. I see I said volume pot when I meant drive pot. Typo. Shouldn't have been that hard to figure out what I meant.

You connect the DRIVE pot on the pedal to the wah pot. Thereby it controls DRIVE.

Pens · Post by **Pens** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 7:25 pm

What is the difference between Gain and Volume?

theshadowofseattle · Post by **theshadowofseattle** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 7:27 pm

PenPen wrote:What is the difference between Gain and Volume?

Volume controls the overall loudness. Gain controls the prominence of more specific sonic properties, but I don't quite know how to explain that.

Pens · Post by **Pens** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 9:08 pm

theshadowofseattle wrote:
PenPen wrote:What is the difference between Gain and Volume?
Volume controls the overall loudness. Gain controls the prominence of more specific sonic properties, but I don't quite know how to explain that.

Gain (DRIVE) controls how hard you "push" the amplifying section of the pedal. "Gain" is an attribute of an amplifier, and dictates how much larger the waveform is increased. Push it beyond the limit of the supply, or past the clipping threshold of the diodes, and you get "distorted" which is the point of the gain control in an OD.

However, I was mostly just looking for a response from exo, to gauge his level of knowledge in electronics.

Post by **Mike** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 9:13 pm

Exothermia wrote:
Mike wrote:Three controls on the pedal - Volume, Tone and Drive/Distortion. Of which Mickie is wanting to control the overdrive by foot, hence connecting the volume pot controls to the wah pot prrrrrobably would be a shit idea, wouldn't it?
Ah. I see I said volume pot when I meant drive pot. Typo. Shouldn't have been that hard to figure out what I meant.

You connect the DRIVE pot on the pedal to the wah pot. Thereby it controls DRIVE.

You're expecting some kind of... leeway there aren't you?

Yet you're the one who replied with "you don't know much about electronics do you?"

Dichotomy.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 1:24 pm

PenPen wrote:What is the difference between Gain and Volume?

Oh, oh, I might know this one professor.

Volume is a sonic variable, gain is an electronic variable. Gain is the amount of voltage in a signal, which will usually relate almost directly to volume, but, due to the signal-distortion experienced in various audio equipment at high gain levels, the term is usually used to mean "dirtiness."

Did I do well? Seriously, is that about right, or am I totally off?

Post by **Mike** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 1:26 pm

Did you miss the above posts, Paul? It wasn't a general question, but aimed at Exothermia.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 1:29 pm

Mike wrote:Did you miss the above posts, Paul? It wasn't a general question, but aimed at Exothermia.

Yeah, but it had already been answered by others, so I thought I'd give it a go.

Post by **Mike** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 1:31 pm

BacchusPaul wrote:Gain is the amount of voltage in a signal, which will usually relate almost directly to volume

But for completeness' sake - this is not correct.

Gain refers to an amplifier stage, it is the ratio between the output and input signal, the Gain is the factor by which the input signal is increased (or decreased if Gain is <1) at the output. You can talk in terms of voltage or power gain. Distortion is achieved when the gain is sufficent to distort the waveform by clipping or gentle compressing (transistor vs. valve) of the waveform as you approach the maximum and minimum swing voltages.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 1:34 pm

Mike wrote:
BacchusPaul wrote:Gain is the amount of voltage in a signal, which will usually relate almost directly to volume
But for completeness' sake - this is not correct.

Gain refers to an amplifier stage, it is the ratio between the output and input signal, the Gain is the factor by which the input signal is increased (or decreased if Gain is <1) at the output. You can talk in terms of voltage or power gain. Distortion is achieved when the gain is sufficent to distort the waveform by clipping or gentle compressing (transistor vs. valve) of the waveform as you approach the maximum and minimum swing voltages.

So, gain is sort of the amount by which a circuit increases or decreases voltage, or amplitude in real (non-digital) terms?

Post by **Mike** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 1:36 pm

Gain exists in a digital system also, just by completely different means.

Post by **Mike** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 1:37 pm

This is a simplistic, if not entirely gospel view:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distortion_%28guitar%29

Mr Mustache · Post by **Mr Mustache** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 8:46 pm

here is a great tutorial on how to mod any pedal and add an expression pedal to control any pot

http://experimentalistsanonymous.com/bo ... .php?t=148

light rail coyote · Post by **light rail coyote** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 8:53 pm

PenPen wrote:What is the difference between Gain and Volume?

Volume=loud
Gain=RAWK

all one needs to know

Post by **Mike** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 11:12 pm

I wonder where Exothermia went?

arcadedave · Post by **arcadedave** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 10:22 am